‘The CNE is not competent to investigate the President’: judge Alba Velásquez

He National Electoral Council (CNE) decided this Tuesday open an investigation and file charges against Gustavo Petro’s presidential campaign for, supposedly, having exceeded the financing limits established in the law.

The electoral authority assured that disbursements of 3,709,361,342 pesos and 1,646,386,773 pesos are being investigated in the first and second round of the 2022 electoral campaign, respectively, of which they would be broken down omissions in expense reports, payment to electoral witnesses, reports of income and expenses of services, contributions, loans, expenses for electoral propaganda and contributions.

(You can read: CNE opens formal investigation against Petro for financing his presidential campaign).

This decision was made by majority, that is, that not all magistrates agreed to proceed legallyWell, according to the CNE, Alba Lucía Velásquez and Fabiola Marquezboth members of the entity’s Plenary Chamber, saved their vote.

Why did they save their vote?

Shortly after the court’s decision was known, Judge Velásquez appeared before the media and assured that The CNE does not have the powers to open a direct investigation against the President of the Republic.

(You may be interested in: Reactions to the CNE’s presentation against Gustavo Petro).

“From the beginning I have maintained that we as CNE are not the competent authority to investigate the president and I consider that the resolution is aimed at investigating him.” he mentioned, adding that Fabiola Márquez did it for the same reasons.

He also said: “There are other elements for which I saved and they are the legal matters that are in the hands, at this moment, of the speakers, which have to do with how the evidence is collected, how the file is incorporated, how the parts of the process are transferred“.

(More: Petro calls for mobilizations and asks for international help after CNE presentation).

However, the judge stated that There are no irregularities in the proceedings of the National Electoral Council regarding the alleged violation of limits by the Petro Presidente campaign..

“The judges who voted in favor have this position because they have a way of interpreting the law. Under no circumstances would they act against the laws, we just have different positions“he explained.

PORTFOLIO